I'm blind, what reasons are there to buy an iPhone or iPad?
By Linda, 16 December, 2020
Forum
Apple Hardware and Compatible Accessories
I am totally blind. I have a Windows computer, but have used iPhones more since retiring. What are reasons (pro and con) for buying a new iPhone or an iPad?
hey
I'm someone who made the switch from Android to IOS an year ago. and honestly that was the best thing I did and I'm greatful for that.
the experience is much more smoother than on android. I can finally type fast even on my phone. there is no lag between voiceover and keyboard.
the best thing is even though I don't take many photos, I like the ability to click a picture for someone and like being at a position where anyone.. my family or friends can aproatch me just like they would anyone without blindness to click a photo.
I love how these products are accessible out of the box and the accessibility is something which drove me to finally make the switch.
I also love the updates keep coming. my old phone stuck on lollipop/android 5 ever since it came. there are no issues like you sometimes run into google TTs and have to install other TTs.
however, everything is not goodies. the major downside of apple products is their high cost. specially in my country India. due to this, there is a direct relationship betwen battory life and cost. more the battory life, higher the cost means many people aren't able to afford these products.
so all in all, I'm grateful I could get an Iphone 6s.
hope this helps.
I'm not bashing android here. everything has its purks and these are just a few things which led me wanting to make the switch.
You say you have owned an iPhone in the past. I am not sure which model, but the new ones come with a faster processor and offer new VoiceOver capabilities. The significant one being VoiceOver Recognition, which describes text in images and offers image descriptions. I had a SE first edition and I upgraded to the SE 2020.. There is a world of a difference in performance, not discounting the fact that the SE I had earlier wasn't performing as well but the new phone is snappy to use and is slightly taller in size. I am not impressed by the price and will never be right after they launched the iPhone 12 Mini which I believe comes with the Bionic 14 processor even faster than what I have in my SE 2020 which is Bionic 13 but the pricing is totally unbelievable to cough up
I've owned an iPHONE for over a decade now. Contracts definitely help with the sticker shock but lock you into a carrier. That's alright if you find a carrier you're happy with. I try to get a good four years out of an iPHONE. By that point, there are usually a growing collection of compelling reasons to upgrade. Newer processors and better cameras are both absolutely helpful to a blind person's experience. The most important thing is iOS updates. If my iPHONE can't update to the current iOS version, I can't take advantage of security and VoiceOver improvements. At that point, for me, an upgrade is a must.
Apple has radically increased the length of time that iPHONEs can keep up with iOS updates. I'd say it's around five years of support or even more. There's also battery longevity. Replacing the battery can be inconvenient and they gradually ware down. Having an external powerbank halps a lot with that issue. I simply use that battery to top it up as the one in the phone gets older. By the time its battery gets to a point when this solution doesn't cut it, I'm usually ready to upgrade anyway.
When I upgrade, I try to save up to get the most current iPHONE that I financially can. This extends the time one has before being stuck at the end of the iOS support cycle. Being one generation behind when upgrading is typically quite acceptablein my experience provided no features in the very latest are things you really need. I got my XR when the 11 group of phones was emerging. While the new capabilities in the 12s interest me, I'm essentially still very happy with my XR and expect another few years with this iPHONE before upgrading. Half of one of those years is left on the two year contract. AFter that, I'll keep it going as long as it make sense. That should be at least two years and hopefully three barring disaster. Those do happen. I lost a phone to a nearly exploded battery. Thankfully, the new measures Apple introduced should make that a lot less likely.
Don't get all hung up on the latest and greatest. Go as far towards that as is financially sensible and then make the best of it. As anybody who has read my guide: Personal Power: The iOS Edition knows, I use my iPHONE instead of a laptop. For my needs, it more than satisfies with a few accessories. Apps are typically cheeper and accessibility is built right into the operating system. I don't need an OCR scanner or laptop on my desk anymore so it's a lot less cluttered. Carrier incentives to upgrade are certainly worth considering. I might upgrade sooner if I'm offered a good enough deal.
First I will say Apple battery life could be better. I have a Pixel4A which is not a flag ship phone but is the same as the SE the cheap version. The Pixel4A gets at least a day and a half. The SE 2020 doesn't come close. Apple accessibility is very good though. If you can handle poor battery life if you can't afford $1000 plus then go iPhone.
He pretty much hit every point. I don't usually make my phones last as long as he does, but I do try to get at least three years out of mine. The nice thing about Iphones - considering the hefty price tag -- is that older phones don't typically cost as much. So you could get a generation below the latest and greatest for a somewhat more reasonable price. That's admittedly not what I do mind you. I got the Iphone 4S when it was new, the 6S Plus when it was new and the XR when it was new. But that's primarily because I liked the features it offered. You could, even now do just fine with the XR (which is now two years old almost) I actually have some sight, and even for me, the quality of my life has improved greatly thanks to my iPhone. Lothed as I am to admit it, it's an extention of me now. I read with it, I communicate with it. It stores my recipes, story ideas, and more reading material on the cloud than I probably need. All my music is on it thanks to Apple Music. It helps me find my way, read pretty much anything I find lying around and if I really need help, allows me to connect to a human being who can visually help me. I'm basically a cyborg with all the electronic components in my hand. instead of in my body.
Michael really did touch on every point that I would have written about. Basically, purchase the best iPhone that you can afford, being sure to consider the memory of the device, because that isn't something that you can extend just by adding another SD card. I purchase the most memory that I can, to ensure that I am future proofed as much as possible. Then take good care of the device. It should serve you for a good five years.
Comments
hey I'm someone who made the…
hey
I'm someone who made the switch from Android to IOS an year ago. and honestly that was the best thing I did and I'm greatful for that.
the experience is much more smoother than on android. I can finally type fast even on my phone. there is no lag between voiceover and keyboard.
the best thing is even though I don't take many photos, I like the ability to click a picture for someone and like being at a position where anyone.. my family or friends can aproatch me just like they would anyone without blindness to click a photo.
I love how these products are accessible out of the box and the accessibility is something which drove me to finally make the switch.
I also love the updates keep coming. my old phone stuck on lollipop/android 5 ever since it came. there are no issues like you sometimes run into google TTs and have to install other TTs.
however, everything is not goodies. the major downside of apple products is their high cost. specially in my country India. due to this, there is a direct relationship betwen battory life and cost. more the battory life, higher the cost means many people aren't able to afford these products.
so all in all, I'm grateful I could get an Iphone 6s.
hope this helps.
I'm not bashing android here. everything has its purks and these are just a few things which led me wanting to make the switch.
Depends really
You say you have owned an iPhone in the past. I am not sure which model, but the new ones come with a faster processor and offer new VoiceOver capabilities. The significant one being VoiceOver Recognition, which describes text in images and offers image descriptions. I had a SE first edition and I upgraded to the SE 2020.. There is a world of a difference in performance, not discounting the fact that the SE I had earlier wasn't performing as well but the new phone is snappy to use and is slightly taller in size. I am not impressed by the price and will never be right after they launched the iPhone 12 Mini which I believe comes with the Bionic 14 processor even faster than what I have in my SE 2020 which is Bionic 13 but the pricing is totally unbelievable to cough up
Considering when to upgrade an iPHONE
I've owned an iPHONE for over a decade now. Contracts definitely help with the sticker shock but lock you into a carrier. That's alright if you find a carrier you're happy with. I try to get a good four years out of an iPHONE. By that point, there are usually a growing collection of compelling reasons to upgrade. Newer processors and better cameras are both absolutely helpful to a blind person's experience. The most important thing is iOS updates. If my iPHONE can't update to the current iOS version, I can't take advantage of security and VoiceOver improvements. At that point, for me, an upgrade is a must.
Apple has radically increased the length of time that iPHONEs can keep up with iOS updates. I'd say it's around five years of support or even more. There's also battery longevity. Replacing the battery can be inconvenient and they gradually ware down. Having an external powerbank halps a lot with that issue. I simply use that battery to top it up as the one in the phone gets older. By the time its battery gets to a point when this solution doesn't cut it, I'm usually ready to upgrade anyway.
When I upgrade, I try to save up to get the most current iPHONE that I financially can. This extends the time one has before being stuck at the end of the iOS support cycle. Being one generation behind when upgrading is typically quite acceptablein my experience provided no features in the very latest are things you really need. I got my XR when the 11 group of phones was emerging. While the new capabilities in the 12s interest me, I'm essentially still very happy with my XR and expect another few years with this iPHONE before upgrading. Half of one of those years is left on the two year contract. AFter that, I'll keep it going as long as it make sense. That should be at least two years and hopefully three barring disaster. Those do happen. I lost a phone to a nearly exploded battery. Thankfully, the new measures Apple introduced should make that a lot less likely.
Don't get all hung up on the latest and greatest. Go as far towards that as is financially sensible and then make the best of it. As anybody who has read my guide: Personal Power: The iOS Edition knows, I use my iPHONE instead of a laptop. For my needs, it more than satisfies with a few accessories. Apps are typically cheeper and accessibility is built right into the operating system. I don't need an OCR scanner or laptop on my desk anymore so it's a lot less cluttered. Carrier incentives to upgrade are certainly worth considering. I might upgrade sooner if I'm offered a good enough deal.
I'm blind, what reasons are there to buy an iPhone or iPad?
First I will say Apple battery life could be better. I have a Pixel4A which is not a flag ship phone but is the same as the SE the cheap version. The Pixel4A gets at least a day and a half. The SE 2020 doesn't come close. Apple accessibility is very good though. If you can handle poor battery life if you can't afford $1000 plus then go iPhone.
Absolutely agree with Michael
He pretty much hit every point. I don't usually make my phones last as long as he does, but I do try to get at least three years out of mine. The nice thing about Iphones - considering the hefty price tag -- is that older phones don't typically cost as much. So you could get a generation below the latest and greatest for a somewhat more reasonable price. That's admittedly not what I do mind you. I got the Iphone 4S when it was new, the 6S Plus when it was new and the XR when it was new. But that's primarily because I liked the features it offered. You could, even now do just fine with the XR (which is now two years old almost) I actually have some sight, and even for me, the quality of my life has improved greatly thanks to my iPhone. Lothed as I am to admit it, it's an extention of me now. I read with it, I communicate with it. It stores my recipes, story ideas, and more reading material on the cloud than I probably need. All my music is on it thanks to Apple Music. It helps me find my way, read pretty much anything I find lying around and if I really need help, allows me to connect to a human being who can visually help me. I'm basically a cyborg with all the electronic components in my hand. instead of in my body.
RE: Absolutely Agree With Michael
Michael really did touch on every point that I would have written about. Basically, purchase the best iPhone that you can afford, being sure to consider the memory of the device, because that isn't something that you can extend just by adding another SD card. I purchase the most memory that I can, to ensure that I am future proofed as much as possible. Then take good care of the device. It should serve you for a good five years.
HTH